Tom Kim reflects on close call at Travelers; now Rocket Mortgage Classic favorite

Tom Kim came inches away from claiming the biggest victory of his young career at the Travelers Championship last week. But a few mistakes ultimately kept him from topping Scottie Scheffler.

Now, Kim is in Michigan for the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where odds-makers have him as the betting favorite. He is also the highest-ranked player in this week’s full-field event, as he currently ranks 16th in the Official World Golf Rankings (OWGR).

“Scottie and I both beat the field by two, which is, I think, really hard to do at this level, considering the depth of field,” Kim assessed.

“Playing for a trophy with one of my closest friends—it’s never happened for me before—so to share that experience with him was really cool.”

Despite the incredible experience, which included plenty of theatrics, from Kim’s dazzling approach to protestors interrupting the final hole, the 22-year-old still fell short. Yet, he remained upbeat about the experience as he shifts his focus to this week’s Rocket Mortgage Classic, which will mark his ninth consecutive tournament.

Scottie Scheffler hugs Tom Kim at the end of the Travelers Championship.

Photo by Keyur Khamar/PGA Tour via Getty Images

“Victories are so much fun, that’s why you play golf, to lift up some trophies, but when you play really well, and you finish second to the top-ranked golfer in the world, but as much as golf I play with him and as close as I am with him, he’s still really, really good,” Kim added.

“For me to be able to extend it to a playoff and to experience that depth of field of playing my best golf and to see that, man, like, I played really well. I had 24 birdies and two bogeys, and the two bogeys came from two three-putts. Man, if I could save one of those shots, I’d win the golf tournament by one.”

Indeed, Kim made a mess of things on the 4th green during Saturday’s third round and at the par-3 8th during Sunday’s final round. On the 4th, Kim stuck his approach to 11 feet and made an agonizing bogey. Then, Kim three-whacked from 23 feet the following day, looking more like an amateur than a top player vying for a Signature Event title.

“I feel there’s so much more to gain when you have weeks like that,” Kim added.

“It’s a positive week, but you always look at it as ‘Okay, how can I do better?’ You feed off so much and I think that’s how you keep adding up good weeks and adding up your successes and leads to winning big golf tournaments.”

Tom Kim plays his tee shot on the 8th hole during the final round of the Travelers Championship.

Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images

Every shot and every putt counts over the course of 72 holes, even on a course as benign as TPC River Highlands. Even before last week’s tournament, Scheffler talked about how playing an easier course is sometimes more challenging because you have to make so many birdies. That also means you must avoid making the most trivial mistakes, like three-putting.

Players will abide by the same mantra at this week’s Rocket Mortgage Challenge, where the winning score has been 23-under-par or lower in four of the past five years.

Kim can go low. He showed that last week in Connecticut. He also showed how he can go toe-to-toe with the best player in the world and make a birdie when needed. But those two minor mistakes over the weekend kept him at bay. Scheffler, meanwhile, did not post a single bogey on Sunday. He ranks first on the PGA Tour in bogey avoidance and tends to bounce back beautifully after making a mistake.

He rarely makes a blunder, which helps explain why he has played incredible golf all season long. So, hopefully, Kim can take that play out of his best friend’s playbook: to not get too aggressive and avoid mistakes at all costs—because if he can do that, Kim, as the favorite this week, can win in Detroit, just as Scheffler has triumphed as the favorite so many times before.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.